A North Hobart building with roots in Tasmania’s 19th-century brewing industry has hit the market for only the second time in more than a century.
The heritage-listed property at 247 Elizabeth Street is available for lease and is being offered for sale for more than $4.95 million.
Known as the Tasmanian Brewery Building, the multi-level site covers more than 5,000 square metres on a prominent corner in the city’s mid-town precinct.
“Originally constructed circa 1890 as a purpose-built brewery, this impressive multi-level structure stands as a testament to superior craftsmanship and enduring construction quality,” RWC Tasmania said in the listing.
Brewing on the site dates back even further to 1849, when eccentric brewer William Punshon set up operations on what is now the rear corner of the building.
By the late 1850s, John James had added a stone brewery on the corner of Elizabeth and Warwick streets, producing the Six Guinea Ale for almost 25 years.
Cascade Brewery purchased and closed the operation in 1883 as part of an industry consolidation.
Tattersalls founder George Adams later revived the site, starting work in 1895 and completing the current brick building by 1903.
But after his death in 1904, Cascade again acquired the property and permanently ended brewing there.
Furniture retailer Coogan & Co took over soon after, converting the brewery into a factory and showroom.
The business remained there until closing in 2019 after 135 years in operation.
The property last changed hands that same year for a price believed to be around $3.5 million.
With central-business zoning, the site is primed for residential, hotel, commercial or retail redevelopment and already holds approval for a distillery.
“The building’s solid heritage fabric and expansive floor plates provide an ideal foundation for refurbishment or redevelopment across a range of potential uses,” RWC Tasmania said.
